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Burton & Swinburne #4
The Secret of Abdu El-Yezdi
Burton & Swinburne return in a new series!
The Beast is coming. History will be remade.
Since the assassination of Queen Victoria in 1840, a cabal of prominent men-including King George V, HRH Prince Albert, Benjamin Disraeli, and Isambard Kingdom Brunel-has received guidance from the Afterlife. The spirit of a dead mystic, Abdu El Yezdi, has helped them to steer the empire into a period of unprecedented peace and creativity. But on the eve of a groundbreaking alliance with the newly formed Greater German Confederation, scientists, surgeons, and engineers are being abducted-including Brunel!
The government, in search of answers, turns to the Afterlife, only to find that Abdu El Yezdi is now refusing to speak with the living. Enter the newly-knighted Sir Richard Francis Burton, fresh from his discovery of the source of the Nile. Appointed the king's agent, he must trace the missing luminaries and solve the mystery of Abdu El Yezdi's silence. But the Beast has been summoned.
How can the famous explorer fulfill his mission when his friends and loved ones are being picked off, one by one, by what appears to be a supernatural entity-by, perhaps, Abdu El Yezdi himself?
The Beast is coming. History will be remade.
Since the assassination of Queen Victoria in 1840, a cabal of prominent men-including King George V, HRH Prince Albert, Benjamin Disraeli, and Isambard Kingdom Brunel-has received guidance from the Afterlife. The spirit of a dead mystic, Abdu El Yezdi, has helped them to steer the empire into a period of unprecedented peace and creativity. But on the eve of a groundbreaking alliance with the newly formed Greater German Confederation, scientists, surgeons, and engineers are being abducted-including Brunel!
The government, in search of answers, turns to the Afterlife, only to find that Abdu El Yezdi is now refusing to speak with the living. Enter the newly-knighted Sir Richard Francis Burton, fresh from his discovery of the source of the Nile. Appointed the king's agent, he must trace the missing luminaries and solve the mystery of Abdu El Yezdi's silence. But the Beast has been summoned.
How can the famous explorer fulfill his mission when his friends and loved ones are being picked off, one by one, by what appears to be a supernatural entity-by, perhaps, Abdu El Yezdi himself?
400 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2013
24 people are currently reading
1188 people want to read
About the author
Mark Hodder
74 books518 followersBritish author living in Valencia, Spain.
Burton & Swinburne Novels:
THE STRANGE AFFAIR OF SPRING-HEELED JACK (Winner of the Philip K. Dick Award 2010)
THE CURIOUS CASE OF THE CLOCKWORK MAN
EXPEDITION TO THE MOUNTAINS OF THE MOON
THE SECRET OF ABDU EL YEZDI
THE RETURN OF THE DISCONTINUED MAN
THE RISE OF THE AUTOMATED ARISTOCRATS
Other Novels:
A RED SUN ALSO RISES
THE SILENT THUNDER CAPER
A DARK AND SUBTLE LIGHT
Novels in Collaboration with Michael Moorcock:
CARIBBEAN CRISIS/VOODOO ISLAND
THE ALBINO'S SECRET (forthcoming)
THE ALBINO'S HONOUR (forthcoming)
THE ALBINO'S EYE (forthcoming)
As Editor:
SEXTON BLAKE AND THE GREAT WAR
SEXTON BLAKE VERSUS THE MASTER CROOKS
SEXTON BLAKE'S ALLIES
SEXTON BLAKE ON THE HOME FRONT
SEXTON BLAKE'S NEW ORDER
Burton & Swinburne Novels:
THE STRANGE AFFAIR OF SPRING-HEELED JACK (Winner of the Philip K. Dick Award 2010)
THE CURIOUS CASE OF THE CLOCKWORK MAN
EXPEDITION TO THE MOUNTAINS OF THE MOON
THE SECRET OF ABDU EL YEZDI
THE RETURN OF THE DISCONTINUED MAN
THE RISE OF THE AUTOMATED ARISTOCRATS
Other Novels:
A RED SUN ALSO RISES
THE SILENT THUNDER CAPER
A DARK AND SUBTLE LIGHT
Novels in Collaboration with Michael Moorcock:
CARIBBEAN CRISIS/VOODOO ISLAND
THE ALBINO'S SECRET (forthcoming)
THE ALBINO'S HONOUR (forthcoming)
THE ALBINO'S EYE (forthcoming)
As Editor:
SEXTON BLAKE AND THE GREAT WAR
SEXTON BLAKE VERSUS THE MASTER CROOKS
SEXTON BLAKE'S ALLIES
SEXTON BLAKE ON THE HOME FRONT
SEXTON BLAKE'S NEW ORDER
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 119 reviews
August 10, 2019
This is the fourth book in Hodder’s steampunk series, Burton & Swinburne. Those who read my review of the third book may remember that I was annoyed by an illogical twist near the end that soured me on a series I had mostly been enjoying. This book builds on that illogical twist and adds some additional illogic of its own.
It’s still a fun series in many ways. I really like the characters, and the books make me laugh out loud quite often. This book’s story is fairly straight-forward, more than some of the others in the series anyway. The reader already knows the “secret” of Abdu El-Yezdi from the moment he’s first mentioned and can predict where many things are going based on that knowledge and other information provided beforehand. I did like many aspects of where this story went, aside from my complaints about the illogical events.
I debated with myself about whether to continue on and read the last two books in the series. I’m enjoying them but I’m also frustrated by them at times, and the premise is starting to lose some of its appeal. I’ve decided to stop here. I’ll miss the characters and I feel slightly bad about abandoning my fictional friends, but I’m ready to move on to other things. I’m also reasonably happy with where things were at the end of this book, and I’m not confident that I would be able to say the same by the end of the series.
A couple spoilers with a little bit more detail about some of my complaints…
It’s still a fun series in many ways. I really like the characters, and the books make me laugh out loud quite often. This book’s story is fairly straight-forward, more than some of the others in the series anyway. The reader already knows the “secret” of Abdu El-Yezdi from the moment he’s first mentioned and can predict where many things are going based on that knowledge and other information provided beforehand. I did like many aspects of where this story went, aside from my complaints about the illogical events.
I debated with myself about whether to continue on and read the last two books in the series. I’m enjoying them but I’m also frustrated by them at times, and the premise is starting to lose some of its appeal. I’ve decided to stop here. I’ll miss the characters and I feel slightly bad about abandoning my fictional friends, but I’m ready to move on to other things. I’m also reasonably happy with where things were at the end of this book, and I’m not confident that I would be able to say the same by the end of the series.
A couple spoilers with a little bit more detail about some of my complaints…
November 3, 2020
I was surprised one day to discover this sequel and the later ones in this, one of my favorite adventure series, because I thought that the third book wrapped up the storyline of an altered-history Britain perfectly, if in a bleak fashion. Although I was probably not paying close attention the first time that I read it (Expedition to the Mountains of the Moon), because some details in those final pages naturally lead to further outings.
I greatly enjoyed the madcap steampunk/time-travelled/mystical/gene-spliced/manipulated alt-history world of the first three books. Here we see the launch of an alt-alt-history, or a Spring-Heeled-Jack-Redux, if you will. Hodder takes his characters, who have already been drawn from actual history and altered for this particular changed landscape, and recasts them in a new re-imagining of a world gone mad with technical, social, and cultural developments that it was ill prepared for the first time around. I struggle to think of a proper comparison for this method. I first thought of American Horror Story (TV series), in which the same actors play different characters every season of the show. But it's not the actors, but the characters themselves who are rearranged here. Maybe like the film Dark City, in which people are shuffled into new identities every night? It's still not quite an apt comparison. DC comics' Flashpoint storyline might fit the bill.
The book suceeds best if you were able to develop some affection for the cast through the prior books, and remember the events of the prior books well. This entry not only re-introduces the characters, but also key events. You may recall an early scene in The Strange Affair of Spring Heeled Jack in which Richard Burton staggers his way through the back alleys of London and is beset upon by, well I'm not going to spoil it, but this event sets up a terrific mystery adventure. This scene is re-purposed here, creating great dramatic tension to launch this combo retelling and continuation. The book is not only retakes, indeed it is mostly brand new material, balancing new events and callbacks, with surprise character re-introductions in places. Swinburne fans might miss his presence for the first chunk of pages, but rest assured that he has plenty of terrific moments coming up. I thought it was a fantastic balance of new and old, and brilliantly follows the events of the first three books.
I thought the action was gangbusters for most of the book, but in the latter half the pacing fell off, around the time that it incorporates elements of Dracula (and a little bit of Frankenstein too). This is all that prevents this from getting a 5-star rating from me. The prior books has occasional pacing problems too, but this one's persisted through to the end once they set in. It still managed to throw some surprises at me, even though I have read it before (I retain my reading much better these days, thankfully), and I remain stoked for the remaining volumes in this series, which will be brand new to me and I am very excited!
I have to give out a shout out to the continuing awesomeness of the monochromatic covers by artist Jon Sullivan on the Pyr editions. They are terrific images in and of themselves, and in addition are incredibly faithful to the text, which I'm sure the author appreciates.
I greatly enjoyed the madcap steampunk/time-travelled/mystical/gene-spliced/manipulated alt-history world of the first three books. Here we see the launch of an alt-alt-history, or a Spring-Heeled-Jack-Redux, if you will. Hodder takes his characters, who have already been drawn from actual history and altered for this particular changed landscape, and recasts them in a new re-imagining of a world gone mad with technical, social, and cultural developments that it was ill prepared for the first time around. I struggle to think of a proper comparison for this method. I first thought of American Horror Story (TV series), in which the same actors play different characters every season of the show. But it's not the actors, but the characters themselves who are rearranged here. Maybe like the film Dark City, in which people are shuffled into new identities every night? It's still not quite an apt comparison. DC comics' Flashpoint storyline might fit the bill.
The book suceeds best if you were able to develop some affection for the cast through the prior books, and remember the events of the prior books well. This entry not only re-introduces the characters, but also key events. You may recall an early scene in The Strange Affair of Spring Heeled Jack in which Richard Burton staggers his way through the back alleys of London and is beset upon by, well I'm not going to spoil it, but this event sets up a terrific mystery adventure. This scene is re-purposed here, creating great dramatic tension to launch this combo retelling and continuation. The book is not only retakes, indeed it is mostly brand new material, balancing new events and callbacks, with surprise character re-introductions in places. Swinburne fans might miss his presence for the first chunk of pages, but rest assured that he has plenty of terrific moments coming up. I thought it was a fantastic balance of new and old, and brilliantly follows the events of the first three books.
I thought the action was gangbusters for most of the book, but in the latter half the pacing fell off, around the time that it incorporates elements of Dracula (and a little bit of Frankenstein too). This is all that prevents this from getting a 5-star rating from me. The prior books has occasional pacing problems too, but this one's persisted through to the end once they set in. It still managed to throw some surprises at me, even though I have read it before (I retain my reading much better these days, thankfully), and I remain stoked for the remaining volumes in this series, which will be brand new to me and I am very excited!
I have to give out a shout out to the continuing awesomeness of the monochromatic covers by artist Jon Sullivan on the Pyr editions. They are terrific images in and of themselves, and in addition are incredibly faithful to the text, which I'm sure the author appreciates.
August 31, 2013
The only problem with the Mountains of the Moon was I wasn't sure where Hodder was going to be able to go from there. With The Secret of Abdu El-Yezdi, he showed us where, or whereS with a capital "S". There is no end to the amount of adventures the intrepid adventurer and his De Sade devotee sidekick can go.
And this, the first in the continuing adventures, packed a lot of possibilities into the punch. Most of the characters you've come to know and love and even revile are here in this ever changing tempestuous temporal tale. I never like to just spout off the plot in a review, you can read a synopsis elsewhere. What I want to get across is the sheer genius of Hodder's storytelling and his mastery of the time travel element. We, as the reader, are left knowing more than Burton as the story begins and from our omniscient point of reference we can see just how convoluted is the time stream. Reference is made to the other stories where needed to refresh our memories and the whole story flows in an organic and satisfying direction.
Needless to say I loved this latest installment as much, if not more, than the others, because I can see the future unfurling for Burton and Swinburne.
And this, the first in the continuing adventures, packed a lot of possibilities into the punch. Most of the characters you've come to know and love and even revile are here in this ever changing tempestuous temporal tale. I never like to just spout off the plot in a review, you can read a synopsis elsewhere. What I want to get across is the sheer genius of Hodder's storytelling and his mastery of the time travel element. We, as the reader, are left knowing more than Burton as the story begins and from our omniscient point of reference we can see just how convoluted is the time stream. Reference is made to the other stories where needed to refresh our memories and the whole story flows in an organic and satisfying direction.
Needless to say I loved this latest installment as much, if not more, than the others, because I can see the future unfurling for Burton and Swinburne.
February 28, 2021
I’d dropped this series a few years back, I think on reflection tooooo many samey fantasy books were hitting my reading. As I recollect in the early part this was a series I did enjoy so im coming back to give it another go, no promises mind……
Well….. it took it’s time getting going with the first one hundred pages turning into a bit of a slog which I nearly threw in, in the 90’s but gave it jus one more chapter…… and YES some excitement & purpose to the story…. Finally….. after a fairly uneventful journey back from their adventures of the Nile in the prior book.
It wasn’t until Burton arrives back in London that events start to unfold after a high-level meeting involving the newly knighted Sir Richard Burton, the King & his main advisors… Burton is again on a mission! And the nature of Abu El-Yezdi is revealed…… It instantly becomes a much better read.
Names from our own Victorian landscape are embedded within the story, their characters assumed to suit their role but mostly they preserve their known profession & ideals. Burke & Hare for instance are indeed villains in the peace, whilst Charles Darwin is a man of science revolving around natural history. And we have contraptions a plenty to mark it is a steampunk series.
The story involves, the Occult & time travel as it’s main fantasy themes which gives it a certain rational rather than going too OTT as some of the genre have perhaps done by trying to squeeze the whole shebang into their series! They become urban myths a go-go! Belay that…. Nosferatu appear late on & is shoehorned into the plot, plausible so perhaps, although the storyline around Burton & his betrothed is then taken right out of Bram Stoker’s Dracula….. giving a (unwanted?) distraction of around a hundred pages or so, even having Bram Stoker making an appropriate appearance although not quite as imagined 😉
I must say it was like reading a story anew as I HAD forgotten any ongoing storylines although I got the impression that a lot had changed since the prior book due to a time shift event, which is briefly mentioned, so what had gone before had never actually happened……?? At journeys end I was still none the wiser nor too sure about some of the nuances so would advise anyone reading a time travel series not to leave it too long between books!
I think I’ll weigh it in at 3.5 stars rounded to 3 as it held my attention for the most part & bar the opening 75 pages or so was entertaining enough. I see there’s two more to wrap the series, so I’ll likely pick them up at some stage. I certainly haven’t gone overboard on it but nor is it bad.
Well….. it took it’s time getting going with the first one hundred pages turning into a bit of a slog which I nearly threw in, in the 90’s but gave it jus one more chapter…… and YES some excitement & purpose to the story…. Finally….. after a fairly uneventful journey back from their adventures of the Nile in the prior book.
It wasn’t until Burton arrives back in London that events start to unfold after a high-level meeting involving the newly knighted Sir Richard Burton, the King & his main advisors… Burton is again on a mission! And the nature of Abu El-Yezdi is revealed…… It instantly becomes a much better read.
Names from our own Victorian landscape are embedded within the story, their characters assumed to suit their role but mostly they preserve their known profession & ideals. Burke & Hare for instance are indeed villains in the peace, whilst Charles Darwin is a man of science revolving around natural history. And we have contraptions a plenty to mark it is a steampunk series.
The story involves, the Occult & time travel as it’s main fantasy themes which gives it a certain rational rather than going too OTT as some of the genre have perhaps done by trying to squeeze the whole shebang into their series! They become urban myths a go-go! Belay that…. Nosferatu appear late on & is shoehorned into the plot, plausible so perhaps, although the storyline around Burton & his betrothed is then taken right out of Bram Stoker’s Dracula….. giving a (unwanted?) distraction of around a hundred pages or so, even having Bram Stoker making an appropriate appearance although not quite as imagined 😉
I must say it was like reading a story anew as I HAD forgotten any ongoing storylines although I got the impression that a lot had changed since the prior book due to a time shift event, which is briefly mentioned, so what had gone before had never actually happened……?? At journeys end I was still none the wiser nor too sure about some of the nuances so would advise anyone reading a time travel series not to leave it too long between books!
I think I’ll weigh it in at 3.5 stars rounded to 3 as it held my attention for the most part & bar the opening 75 pages or so was entertaining enough. I see there’s two more to wrap the series, so I’ll likely pick them up at some stage. I certainly haven’t gone overboard on it but nor is it bad.
October 11, 2015
This is a great mishmash of a read, merging Victorian personalities and great understanding of London at this time with a great imaginative storytelling.
This book along with the last one is a lot more serious in its tone, I found myself missing the humour of the first two books..
highly recommended to all.
This book along with the last one is a lot more serious in its tone, I found myself missing the humour of the first two books..
highly recommended to all.
September 11, 2015
I love this series. I completely understand why some people might not though. You cannot read the books out of order. It would be way too confusing. And you cannot write much about them and not spoil something.
The last book ended with a huge cliffhanger. I hate cliffhangers, but there are some books you simply overlook all that and eagerly wait for the next one. I was wondering if it was possible to resolve all the piled up issues. The book returns to all the characters that played important roles in the beginning especially in the first two. It repeats a lot of events you already know about, but in a different way and it adds and changes bits and pieces. It is never boring. The additions and changes suit the story completely. There were a lot of moments when I felt as if a very dear friend, whom I haven't seen for a very long time, came back. Even the heartbreaking moments are simply used not to be the focus of the story, but rather to strengthen it.
It starts with Richard Burton coming back from his successful mission to discover the source of Nile. He was knighted for that achievement and was appointed the king's agent. Soon he finds out that the British government was getting advice from an entity called Abdu El Yezdi. Now, when someone is kidnapping important scientists and a threat of a new danger is looming over the country, Abdu El Yezdi isn't speaking anymore.
The time-travel element is very strong in the story, but not in a way it is in The Strange Affair of Spring Heeled Jack where the character jumps through time throughout the book.
What I missed in the beginning of the book was Swinburne, but he made up for it in the other half of the story. I still wish he appeared earlier, but I understand. The story needed that particular set-up before he appeared. There are a number of things that make this book great, but as far as I am concerned, Swinburne is my favourite.
The last book ended with a huge cliffhanger. I hate cliffhangers, but there are some books you simply overlook all that and eagerly wait for the next one. I was wondering if it was possible to resolve all the piled up issues. The book returns to all the characters that played important roles in the beginning especially in the first two. It repeats a lot of events you already know about, but in a different way and it adds and changes bits and pieces. It is never boring. The additions and changes suit the story completely. There were a lot of moments when I felt as if a very dear friend, whom I haven't seen for a very long time, came back. Even the heartbreaking moments are simply used not to be the focus of the story, but rather to strengthen it.
It starts with Richard Burton coming back from his successful mission to discover the source of Nile. He was knighted for that achievement and was appointed the king's agent. Soon he finds out that the British government was getting advice from an entity called Abdu El Yezdi. Now, when someone is kidnapping important scientists and a threat of a new danger is looming over the country, Abdu El Yezdi isn't speaking anymore.
The time-travel element is very strong in the story, but not in a way it is in The Strange Affair of Spring Heeled Jack where the character jumps through time throughout the book.
What I missed in the beginning of the book was Swinburne, but he made up for it in the other half of the story. I still wish he appeared earlier, but I understand. The story needed that particular set-up before he appeared. There are a number of things that make this book great, but as far as I am concerned, Swinburne is my favourite.
At three in the afternoon, a falsetto screeching drifted up from the street below. It continued for five minutes and was followed by the jingling of the doorbell. The stairs creaked as Mrs. Angell ascended. She knocked, entered, and stood with hands on hips. “A small hobgoblin has invaded our hallway.”The next might not be something a lot of people find interesting, but there is more romance in this book than in others, if nothing else but for Burton's frankness and willingness to share.
“Does it have red hair?” Burton asked.
“Oh, is that what it is? I thought the creature’s head was on fire. I was going to throw a bucket of water over it before chasing it away with my broom.”
“I never felt I belonged anywhere until I met her,” Burton replied. “Now I feel I can belong any place at all, provided I am with her.”The ending itself is a bit rushed, but since I saw there will be a fifth book I don't mind.
January 21, 2015
First of all let me tell you that I love the series.
I belong to the group of readers who thought after reading book three that the series came to its end.
So I was more than happy when I found that the series will continue with a new story arc.
I was not sure which way Mark Hodder would go after the events in book three. But he chose well and delivered a new, incredible, intense and intelligent story. The reader needs to take care not to get lost in the time travel aspects.
For fans of the series it is good to know that they will meet again characters who appeared in the previous books.
I can promise you that you will discover who is Abdu El Yezdi.
This is such a clever mix of history, time travel, steampunk elements.
Now I look forward to read book 5 The Return of the Discontinued Man.
Fortunately I own a copy.
I belong to the group of readers who thought after reading book three that the series came to its end.
So I was more than happy when I found that the series will continue with a new story arc.
I was not sure which way Mark Hodder would go after the events in book three. But he chose well and delivered a new, incredible, intense and intelligent story. The reader needs to take care not to get lost in the time travel aspects.
For fans of the series it is good to know that they will meet again characters who appeared in the previous books.
I can promise you that you will discover who is Abdu El Yezdi.
This is such a clever mix of history, time travel, steampunk elements.
Now I look forward to read book 5 The Return of the Discontinued Man.
Fortunately I own a copy.
April 17, 2022
Nice, but somewhat less spectacular than the previous three novels in the series.
August 14, 2013
Come on, Mark Hodder. You're 80% of the way there. Just a little bit farther...
I've had a love/hate relationship with this series since it began. Hodder tells a pretty excellent alternate-universe pulp yarn, and while his writing started out a bit workmanlike and unpolished, it's definitely improved as the books go on.
Unfortunately, his particular weakness happens to be located right at one of my personal pet peeve points - he can't for the life of him seem to write a female character who isn't the personification of some idealized Victorian trope. The closest he's come has been Sister Ragavendra, who occasionally gets to do something more than stand about wringing her hands and asking obvious questions to advance the plot, but she still doesn't seem to have much agency of her own outside of the Burton-centric plot. One of the few female characters is named "Mother Angell", fer chrissakes - she's even named after the trope she embodies! Not a single one of his books have passed the Bechdel test. And then in this story, which is otherwise one of his best-written yet {minor spoiler ahead},
It wouldn't be as frustrating if the books were bad, but that's the problem - they're actually quite fun adventure/detective stories, with well-drawn (male) characters and all sorts of fun historical (and alternate-historical) tidbits. To give him credit, Hodder seems to be trying to give his female characters bigger parts, but he just doesn't seem to understand that women in stories can have lives and motivations and inner monologues of their own. Augh.
I've had a love/hate relationship with this series since it began. Hodder tells a pretty excellent alternate-universe pulp yarn, and while his writing started out a bit workmanlike and unpolished, it's definitely improved as the books go on.
Unfortunately, his particular weakness happens to be located right at one of my personal pet peeve points - he can't for the life of him seem to write a female character who isn't the personification of some idealized Victorian trope. The closest he's come has been Sister Ragavendra, who occasionally gets to do something more than stand about wringing her hands and asking obvious questions to advance the plot, but she still doesn't seem to have much agency of her own outside of the Burton-centric plot. One of the few female characters is named "Mother Angell", fer chrissakes - she's even named after the trope she embodies! Not a single one of his books have passed the Bechdel test. And then in this story, which is otherwise one of his best-written yet {minor spoiler ahead},
It wouldn't be as frustrating if the books were bad, but that's the problem - they're actually quite fun adventure/detective stories, with well-drawn (male) characters and all sorts of fun historical (and alternate-historical) tidbits. To give him credit, Hodder seems to be trying to give his female characters bigger parts, but he just doesn't seem to understand that women in stories can have lives and motivations and inner monologues of their own. Augh.
September 20, 2024
That it's taken me five years to get back to this series after reading book three is a commentary on how that third book underwhelmed me in comparison to the first two. But the real issue is that the more Hodder shifted away from "gonzo alternative history" (you can blame the late Howard Waldrop for that phrase), to writing about a time war set in a multiverse, the less interested I became. So, with the fourth book, the transition is complete and I'm not sure I care anymore; this is even with the sense that Hodder's prose has improved over the course of this enterprise. Be that as it may, I've read worse books this year, but reading the last two books in this series is looking more and more like a chore I'm going to skip out on. Kind of a pity really, considering how strong this series started.
November 16, 2024
Hodder masterfully weaves together historical events and fictional elements to create a richly detailed world that captures the reader's imagination from start to finish. The characters are complex and engaging, the plot is fast-paced and full of unexpected twists, and the themes of power, knowledge, and identity are thoughtfully explored.
Overall, "The Secret of Abdu El-Yezdi" is a captivating read that will appeal to fans of steampunk, mystery, and historical fiction. Hodder's unique blend of genres and his skillful storytelling make this novel a must-read for anyone looking for an immersive and thrilling literary experience.
Overall, "The Secret of Abdu El-Yezdi" is a captivating read that will appeal to fans of steampunk, mystery, and historical fiction. Hodder's unique blend of genres and his skillful storytelling make this novel a must-read for anyone looking for an immersive and thrilling literary experience.
October 12, 2017
Another fanciful journey into the alternative Victorian world with Richard Burton and Algernon Swinburne.
Even after reading four of this series, I still sometimes cringe at the use of real people thrown into an alternate reality. True, I read the "Riverworld" series many years ago which also prominently featured Burton. But I've learned so much more about the man and the era since then that I guess I've become more particular.
Still, it's an action packed series that's a lot of fun, though keeping the timelines straight can be a challenge.
Even after reading four of this series, I still sometimes cringe at the use of real people thrown into an alternate reality. True, I read the "Riverworld" series many years ago which also prominently featured Burton. But I've learned so much more about the man and the era since then that I guess I've become more particular.
Still, it's an action packed series that's a lot of fun, though keeping the timelines straight can be a challenge.
October 28, 2021
I had some unexpected confusion regarding already established characters being introduced all over again in this edition. Liked it but not my favorite of the series.
January 19, 2016
When I know I’m good and ready for a challenging read I know I can always turn to Mark Hodder’s Burton & Swinburne adventure series. One really needs to put everything else aside and prepare for full throttle complexity, and after reading this 4th book in the series, I’m thinking they’re growing even more convoluted than ever.
Ever since I read the first book in the series, The Strange Affair of Spring Heeled Jack, I’ve been impressed with the author’s creativity. To be able to explore this world of Victorian age England in an alternate history version (where Victoria is assassinated early in her reign) is always fun. Good steampunk novels, time-travel novels, or old fashioned character-driven historical novels can be difficult to write but to combine all of the above is a tough feat to pull off. But Hodder does it once again.
Sir Richard Francis Burton is the primary character, of course and we see the story unfold through his eyes. I found the other characters well drawn once again and great fun to follow along with as they encounter various historical figures and places in 19th century England. Some are well known to us, like Charles Darwin, Bram Stoker, Charles Dodgson (Lewis Carroll), while others are far less known, at least to me, but nevertheless important historical contributors.
My one complaint about this book is that I am probably just not smart enough to read it. I get the same feeling when I read a Neal Stephenson book. Time travel plots can certainly be convoluted with resulting paradoxes prompting bouts of head scratching puzzlement on the part of the reader, but when said paradoxes drive the plot and the action, the result can be absolutely confounding. It was difficult to keep track of who was doing what to whom and when they were doing it. Add to that a rather large cast of characters and we have a recipe for a complicated stew. Paradoxes that result in branches to parallel universes and timelines abound throughout and I was not always confident that I was understanding which set of characters or which version of the timeline I was observing. For that reason I took off a star on my rating even though the fault is likely mine for just not being smart enough.
Nevertheless, the attempt was worth it just to read Mr. Hodder’s prose and absorb his wit if nothing else. I am anxious to see what comes in the next novel for it is evident that this universe has been blown wide open with this novel and there is no cap to what can happen next (or previously).
Ever since I read the first book in the series, The Strange Affair of Spring Heeled Jack, I’ve been impressed with the author’s creativity. To be able to explore this world of Victorian age England in an alternate history version (where Victoria is assassinated early in her reign) is always fun. Good steampunk novels, time-travel novels, or old fashioned character-driven historical novels can be difficult to write but to combine all of the above is a tough feat to pull off. But Hodder does it once again.
Sir Richard Francis Burton is the primary character, of course and we see the story unfold through his eyes. I found the other characters well drawn once again and great fun to follow along with as they encounter various historical figures and places in 19th century England. Some are well known to us, like Charles Darwin, Bram Stoker, Charles Dodgson (Lewis Carroll), while others are far less known, at least to me, but nevertheless important historical contributors.
My one complaint about this book is that I am probably just not smart enough to read it. I get the same feeling when I read a Neal Stephenson book. Time travel plots can certainly be convoluted with resulting paradoxes prompting bouts of head scratching puzzlement on the part of the reader, but when said paradoxes drive the plot and the action, the result can be absolutely confounding. It was difficult to keep track of who was doing what to whom and when they were doing it. Add to that a rather large cast of characters and we have a recipe for a complicated stew. Paradoxes that result in branches to parallel universes and timelines abound throughout and I was not always confident that I was understanding which set of characters or which version of the timeline I was observing. For that reason I took off a star on my rating even though the fault is likely mine for just not being smart enough.
Nevertheless, the attempt was worth it just to read Mr. Hodder’s prose and absorb his wit if nothing else. I am anxious to see what comes in the next novel for it is evident that this universe has been blown wide open with this novel and there is no cap to what can happen next (or previously).
October 27, 2013
This is the fourth book in this “A Burton and Swinburne Adventure” series created by Mark Hodder. If you love this book you will also want to check out “The Curious Case of the Clockwork Man” and “Expedition to the Mountains of the Moon” and “The Strange Affair of Spring Heeled Jack”. All HIGHLY recommended
The two main characters couldn’t be further apart and yet they link closely as a team seeing what is happening from different perspectives that compliments the other.
Burton is a large man and an explorer and agent of the Queen, while Swinburne is a diminutive poet.
In this adventure Burton and Swinburne are dealing with the afterlife. Burton is brought in an advised that the technology that has been implemented in the past 20 years has come from a spirit in the after life called Abhu El Yezdi.
Being a practical man Burton is highly suspicious of the so called afterlife however puts in best effort to resolve the problem. The problem being that Abdu El Yezdi has gone silent just when England needs him the most.
Resentment between England and Germany is escalating and it appears this is being driven by a group that believes in eugenics. Eugenics believes in the supremacy of the strongest but goes further by arguing that rather than wait for nature to do this that man can accelerate the process through technological intervention.
Further to Burton’s qualms about the afterlife is the fact that he is due to get married. And the bride’s family are not happy with their daughter’s choice in a potential husband.
Lost of action, lots of twists and turns with a huge plot twist before the final battle between good and evil.
Highly Recommended.
POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT
It should be noted that Abdu El Yezdi is an anagram that tells you the end of the story. Although still cryptic, why not read the book and then you will agree that the following clearly relates to a major plot line:
Abdu El Yezdi = Bye Dualized
The two main characters couldn’t be further apart and yet they link closely as a team seeing what is happening from different perspectives that compliments the other.
Burton is a large man and an explorer and agent of the Queen, while Swinburne is a diminutive poet.
In this adventure Burton and Swinburne are dealing with the afterlife. Burton is brought in an advised that the technology that has been implemented in the past 20 years has come from a spirit in the after life called Abhu El Yezdi.
Being a practical man Burton is highly suspicious of the so called afterlife however puts in best effort to resolve the problem. The problem being that Abdu El Yezdi has gone silent just when England needs him the most.
Resentment between England and Germany is escalating and it appears this is being driven by a group that believes in eugenics. Eugenics believes in the supremacy of the strongest but goes further by arguing that rather than wait for nature to do this that man can accelerate the process through technological intervention.
Further to Burton’s qualms about the afterlife is the fact that he is due to get married. And the bride’s family are not happy with their daughter’s choice in a potential husband.
Lost of action, lots of twists and turns with a huge plot twist before the final battle between good and evil.
Highly Recommended.
POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT
It should be noted that Abdu El Yezdi is an anagram that tells you the end of the story. Although still cryptic, why not read the book and then you will agree that the following clearly relates to a major plot line:
Abdu El Yezdi = Bye Dualized
January 23, 2016
Okay… As I left it with the last book in this series, I was definitely not happy. So, you ask (not really but this is what is going through my head and out my fingers as I type this), why did I go ahead and read this book if the last one was so disappointing. The simple answer is – I had already checked this book out from the library. So I figured I would give it a try. And it is definitely not quite as bad as the last.
To summarize: The good – it slowed down and became a little less incoherent, no extreme POV time swapping, the technological leap was less prevalent and less intrusive to the story (although still there), the implications of yet another set of incarnations of each of the main characters personality modifications was explored (a little), and even more variations in the history was contemplated.
The bad – the characters have lost their unique voices and personalities – they have all become plain vanilla flavored versions of the people they were in the first books. They are all boring. The only slightly colorful addition is a little more Swinburne-style poetry in the mix, but it does nothing to advance the story, instead it just adds to the pseudo-Victorian ambiance. I feel like I have read regurgitated sections of the text several times before from the previous books and the prose is just not good enough to hold up to that repetition. It seems to be becoming a series of ‘how many different Richard Burtons and how many discrete dimensions can we create with just a single personally significant change’ story and the changes and the people are definitely becoming less interesting.
My conclusion - even though this book is better than the last, unless the next book effortlessly falls into my possession, I will not be actively seeking it out to continue this series.
To summarize: The good – it slowed down and became a little less incoherent, no extreme POV time swapping, the technological leap was less prevalent and less intrusive to the story (although still there), the implications of yet another set of incarnations of each of the main characters personality modifications was explored (a little), and even more variations in the history was contemplated.
The bad – the characters have lost their unique voices and personalities – they have all become plain vanilla flavored versions of the people they were in the first books. They are all boring. The only slightly colorful addition is a little more Swinburne-style poetry in the mix, but it does nothing to advance the story, instead it just adds to the pseudo-Victorian ambiance. I feel like I have read regurgitated sections of the text several times before from the previous books and the prose is just not good enough to hold up to that repetition. It seems to be becoming a series of ‘how many different Richard Burtons and how many discrete dimensions can we create with just a single personally significant change’ story and the changes and the people are definitely becoming less interesting.
My conclusion - even though this book is better than the last, unless the next book effortlessly falls into my possession, I will not be actively seeking it out to continue this series.
January 1, 2020
(Review from 2013 read)
I just wrote 90% of my review and accidentally clicked out of the page :S
I can't really describe my excitement when I found out this was released. I'm about 300 years behind when it comes to books, but I raced to my local library's catalogue and was thrilled to see that they'd already purchased a copy. Needless to say I got my hands on it as soon as I could and gladly sunk back into the familiar alternate Victorian era that Mark Hodder has created.
I read Expedition to the Mountains of the Moon in December, which might as well be 1860 for me, so it took me a little while to remember how all the characters fit into place. This was, of course, made a bit trickier by the fact that this is an alternate-alternate Victorian era, a different history from that presented in the original three books, with characters doing different things and making different decisions.
By the time I got to the end of the book, however, everything had slid perfectly into place, and fit in well with the events of the previous three books. Without giving anything away, there is a particularly touching part near the end of this book.
I've got to hand it to Mark Hodder - so many alternate histories, so many characters based on people who actually existed, timelines that match up nicely even though Hodder messes with what actually happened... if I was trying to write these books I probably would have given up halfway through the first one with a headache, but thankfully reading them is much more pleasant.
Basically, if you haven't read any of Hodder's Burton and Swinburne books... what are you waiting for!?
I just wrote 90% of my review and accidentally clicked out of the page :S
I can't really describe my excitement when I found out this was released. I'm about 300 years behind when it comes to books, but I raced to my local library's catalogue and was thrilled to see that they'd already purchased a copy. Needless to say I got my hands on it as soon as I could and gladly sunk back into the familiar alternate Victorian era that Mark Hodder has created.
I read Expedition to the Mountains of the Moon in December, which might as well be 1860 for me, so it took me a little while to remember how all the characters fit into place. This was, of course, made a bit trickier by the fact that this is an alternate-alternate Victorian era, a different history from that presented in the original three books, with characters doing different things and making different decisions.
By the time I got to the end of the book, however, everything had slid perfectly into place, and fit in well with the events of the previous three books. Without giving anything away, there is a particularly touching part near the end of this book.
I've got to hand it to Mark Hodder - so many alternate histories, so many characters based on people who actually existed, timelines that match up nicely even though Hodder messes with what actually happened... if I was trying to write these books I probably would have given up halfway through the first one with a headache, but thankfully reading them is much more pleasant.
Basically, if you haven't read any of Hodder's Burton and Swinburne books... what are you waiting for!?
November 15, 2015
4th volume in Burton and Swinbourne series and yet not 4th volume? Because without too many explicit spoilers, the events at end of book 3 may mean that trilogy never existed :-)
This is actually one of the cleverer time paradoxical works I've read where a divergent timeline spawns from the assassination of Queen Victoria in 1840 and the resulting history features a mash of both genetic engineering and steampunk gone crazy blending characters fictional and factual. Where is succeeds best is using characters previously used in the previous trilogy and shadowing or echoing their actions in that time and at the same time, bringing in a new threat along with ond from that timeline.
While I wont go into specifics on plot, volume 4 is a great addition to the series though it does not quite rise to the sheer scope of book 3 and the fallen british empire scenes. It is absolutely essentisl to have read all previous volumes and after the end of book 3, I admit I had no idea where the series would go. I was not disappointed.
recommended highly
This is actually one of the cleverer time paradoxical works I've read where a divergent timeline spawns from the assassination of Queen Victoria in 1840 and the resulting history features a mash of both genetic engineering and steampunk gone crazy blending characters fictional and factual. Where is succeeds best is using characters previously used in the previous trilogy and shadowing or echoing their actions in that time and at the same time, bringing in a new threat along with ond from that timeline.
While I wont go into specifics on plot, volume 4 is a great addition to the series though it does not quite rise to the sheer scope of book 3 and the fallen british empire scenes. It is absolutely essentisl to have read all previous volumes and after the end of book 3, I admit I had no idea where the series would go. I was not disappointed.
recommended highly
June 20, 2013
This performs the three-card trick by adding a fourth novel to the series and maintaining the same level of plot inventiveness. It's a joy! However, you will not appreciate just how much of a joy unless you have read the first three in the serial. Note I said serial and not series. These are NOT standalone books and you will seriously miss out if you do not read them in order.
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July 18, 2013
My weakness for Mark Hodder's awesomeness strikes again! After a slightly (and I stress slightly) disappointing 3rd book, Hodder comes back with a vengeance with this continuance of the tale of explorer Richard Francis Burton and poet Algernon Swinburne. I could not put this book down...literally. I walked around my house reading it and nearly fell down my stairs. If that's not a ringing endorsement, I don't know what is!
August 1, 2013
Definitely better than the third book, which got a little over the top weird for my taste. I think that must have been the common opinion, as this fourth book is essentially a "do over" for the characters. Still a very interesting mix of history and steam punk, with this book having a bit more of the former and a bit less of the latter, possibly. Some interesting tie-ins with contemporary literary works (that's intentionally vague to prevent spoilers) that keep things interesting.
August 24, 2014
It's beginning to get to the point where I don't know which timeline Burton and Swinburne are occupying. Characters who were bad are now good, others who died are alive and vice versa. May have to reread in order to get my poor brain around the plot.
June 25, 2016
After the slightly maddening ending to the previous Burton/Swinburne tale, I was pleased to find this book sufficiently dealing with the utter madness of time travel and how it does the crazy things it does.
In any case, if you enjoyed the others, this one is definitely worth your time.
In any case, if you enjoyed the others, this one is definitely worth your time.
November 8, 2017
A pretty good continuation of this series. I've found this series to be hit and miss - liked 2 and 4, so-so on 1 and 3. I finally understand that this series is interlinked - I had been expecting a series of adventures, so when we started this book and here's Burton again, but yet another version of Burton, I was a little frustrated, especially after the way the third one ended. At some point I realized that Hodder has an overarching plot that he's following, and the series began to make a lot more sense.
I enjoyed this book, but did find that I had troubles recalling characters or events that had occurred earlier in the story. I don't know if that's the fault of the book, my inattention, or because I had two or three other books on the go the whole time I was reading this. In any event, I did enjoy this book and will be continuing with the series. This is a series that you really have to read in order, or else it makes very little sense.
I enjoyed this book, but did find that I had troubles recalling characters or events that had occurred earlier in the story. I don't know if that's the fault of the book, my inattention, or because I had two or three other books on the go the whole time I was reading this. In any event, I did enjoy this book and will be continuing with the series. This is a series that you really have to read in order, or else it makes very little sense.
June 26, 2017
In this fourth installment of the Burton and Swinburne series, we find Burton in a different timeline from the first three books. In this universe, spiritualism is real, and a supernatural being is set on preventing a British/German alliance. It is up to Burton to hunt down this nosferatu and put a stop to it's plan.
Tipping his hat to classic literature, Hodder uses some familiar plot strains, but instead of weakening the overall book, it adds to it's soundness. As with the previous books, he has created an amazingly detailed alternate universe which is fully believable. Keeping the reader guessing as to how it will all tie together, the Secret of Adu el Yezdi is a fantastic addition to this series.
Tipping his hat to classic literature, Hodder uses some familiar plot strains, but instead of weakening the overall book, it adds to it's soundness. As with the previous books, he has created an amazingly detailed alternate universe which is fully believable. Keeping the reader guessing as to how it will all tie together, the Secret of Adu el Yezdi is a fantastic addition to this series.
December 14, 2020
Although this is technically number 4, I think it’s easier to think of it as number 1 in a second trilogy. The Burton we followed the first three books has been reset in a different timeline, so we meet old companions again or are introduced to new ones.
I am not a huge fan of time travel and continually reset timelines in general, so I shouldn’t like this series as much as I do. But it’s done with a tongue-in-cheek awareness of how bizarre this all is, so knowing the characters are as frustrated by the mess as I am makes it feel like we’re all in this together.
I had a guess about Abdu El-Yezdi early in the book, and it turned out that I was correct, so also I feel super smug about that.
I am not a huge fan of time travel and continually reset timelines in general, so I shouldn’t like this series as much as I do. But it’s done with a tongue-in-cheek awareness of how bizarre this all is, so knowing the characters are as frustrated by the mess as I am makes it feel like we’re all in this together.
I had a guess about Abdu El-Yezdi early in the book, and it turned out that I was correct, so also I feel super smug about that.
September 24, 2022
This is a slight reset from the previous three books in the series. To go into too much detail would run the risk of giving away plots from either this or the previous three.
Here at the start of the book Richard Burton is coming back from discovering the Source of the Nile, he's going to marry Isabel and he hasn't yet met Swinburne. Apart from those minor points this is a book predicated on the assassination of Queen Victoria and once again there are a number of "steam-punk" inventions that have changed the way the 19th Century has developed.
It's bonkers, it's hokum and it's great fun to read.
Here at the start of the book Richard Burton is coming back from discovering the Source of the Nile, he's going to marry Isabel and he hasn't yet met Swinburne. Apart from those minor points this is a book predicated on the assassination of Queen Victoria and once again there are a number of "steam-punk" inventions that have changed the way the 19th Century has developed.
It's bonkers, it's hokum and it's great fun to read.
December 11, 2018
At first I was concerned - by shifting the mains character of the book to different versions of themselves it felt at the beginning like it had made all the growth of the previous books redundant. I should have had more faith in Mr. Hodder - he made it work in the end, and the story built well upon what we've seen in previous books to move things along.
January 27, 2017
this book is kind of a reboot of the Burton & swinburne series. At first I wasn't too happy about that idea, but it grew on me. the characters are still interesting and the story is still a lot of fun. I love revisiting this world every time.
May 5, 2023
Another brilliant, atmospheric read from Hodder. I took this away on a cruise around the Med, and somehow, the story and environment fitted perfectly with bobbing and swaying in a cosy cabin. Ghastly, ghoulish, smoky and smog-filled. Burton's out of luck again!
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